1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates primarily to flashlight improvements, and in particular, to hand-held flashlights having a tailcap insert of the type generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,141, and/or to a flashlight having an improved seal to permit flow of out gasses from the interior of the flashlight to ambient while preventing ingress of foreign material into the flashlight battery compartment.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Flashlights of varying sizes, shapes and power supplies are well-known, including flashlights having a tailcap insert of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,141. In general such flashlights incorporate inserts of this general type in order to eliminate several machining steps during manufacture of the flashlight and to maintain a high degree of electrical continuity within the electrical circuit in the tailcap region of the flashlight. It has been observed that with known tailcap inserts of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,141 the lateral forces exerted on wings of the insert are sometimes insufficient to exert a tight mechanical fit between the wings and the inside surface of the barrel at the tailcap end of the flashlight.
Also, it has been found that the indents in such a tailcap insert did not always provide for secure holding of the spare lamp which is normally kept within the central bore of the tailcap.
Also, the tailcap inserts of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,141 may permit the tailcap spring to become loose, upon removal of the tailcap, from the barrel during battery and/or lamp replacement.
Conventional flashlights also are known to produce gases during normal operation of their enclosed batteries. One of the problems associated with conventional flashlights is inadequate provision for the flashlight to permit release of excess gases produced during the normal operation of the flashlight. Although many conventional flashlights are effectively sealed through the combination of close mechanical tolerances at closure points and through strategically placed 0rings or equivalent seals, such seals effectively prevent not only ingress of contaminants, but also prevent the escape of gases produced during normal operation of the flashlight, and, therefore, may permit undesirable gas build up within the flashlight battery compartment.
The present invention seeks to improve the flashlight art in accordance with the hereinafter stated objects of the present invention.